Fall 2015 classes are posted! This semester, we're offering classes on Christian Ethics and Church History. Check out what's coming and get signed up soon! (To make sure you've got all the materials you'll in time for the first session, be sure and get signed up on or before September 15!) Still on the fence about taking a class? Check out these links that will help you get to know us a bit better and that can help you make your decision :
Don't forget to check out our Fall 2015 classes, and help spread the word!
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Any evangelical church has a number of important functions it should value: preaching, groups, care, equipping, etc. (All of these are important!) Oftentimes, "missions" is tacked on here, as just one more "department" that should be included under the umbrella of local church leadership.
Now, I'm glad Brookside has staff leadership devoted to our Impact Ministries (Global Impact and Community Impact). But that doesn't mean the rest of us - those of us that aren't directly involved in a Go Team or serving specifically within Impact Ministries - are off the hook. That's because, fully appreciated, "missions" is not just one more department of a church, but mission is part of the very identity of the church - something that should weave its way throughout the life of the church. I love how Gregg Allison (leaning on Jurgen Moltmann) helps articulate this: On Thursday and Friday of this last week, I attended the Global Leadership Summit, a leadership conference I've attended for probably the last 10 years or so. The Summit features a diverse faculty of presenters - some I've heard of before, some I've not - and every year I walk away having learned worthwhile lessons that can shape my leadership and ministry. (Check out some of the ways I benefited from last year's Summit by clicking here.)
This year, one of the speakers who grabbed my attention most was a guy by the name of Ed Catmull that I wasn't really familiar with. (Though I am familiar with his body of work. Ed Catmull is the President of Pixar Animation - the studio that brought us Toy Story, Wall-E, The Incredibles, Inside Out, and more.) I especially resonated with two statements Catmull made. Both statements align closely with what we're trying to through our classes at the Brookside Institute - even if these points seem counterintuitive to how people normally think about classroom and equipping environments. Earlier this week I saw an article listing the "Most Highlighted Kindle Quotes of All Time" (per Amazon) and the quote that topped the list was spoken by Katniss Everdeen in the popular book Catching Fire. Here's the quote, highlighted by almost 18,000 Kindle users: “Because sometimes things happen to people and they’re not equipped to deal with them.” So how does Katness Everdeen reinforce the value of the Institute? This quote reminds us of the importance of having a strong foundation. The quote resonates with us, because we all know things have happened in our lives - or will happen in our lives - that we don't feel fully equipped for. We simply can't predict every situation we'll ever face. Yes, Katniss, sometimes things do happen to people and they're not equipped to deal with them.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't (or can't) lay a strong foundation. Foundations matter. A strong foundation can give us footing and stability when the things we never could've guessed present themselves. Strong foundations can help us stand firm - even when things happened we're not fully equipped for. Strong foundations help us react wisely - even when the unexpected arises. This sort of footing is exactly what our Brookside Institute classes aim to offer those seeking to build and reinforce foundations of the Christian faith. Hope to see you in a class soon! Based on the number of "hits" each month, here are the top 5 posts here on the Brookside Institute blog for the last six months - since January 2015..
Did you miss any of these? Click on any of these "Top Posts by Month from January-June 2015" to be taken to the post, and check 'em out! (It's not too late!) The recent SCOTUS decision to legalize same-sex marriage (understandably) still has lots of people talking. (Click here for a few resources that can help you navigate the conversation.)
Everyone acknowledges the decision indicates a significant cultural shift. Evangelical Christians look around and observe that our cultural landscape "looks" less Christian (from the standpoint of a traditional Judeo-Christian ethic) than it did even a few short decades ago. The question then becomes, how can we keep our footing amidst the shifting soils of our larger culture? Thankfully, we are not left to ourselves on how to answer this question. Back in the time of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, God's people spent some time exiled from their homeland. In this environment, they could look around and easily observe how much distance there was between their values as God's people (values given to them by God), and certain values of the dominant culture. In Jeremiah 29, we see how the Lord counseled His people to keep their footing in the midst of this situation in Jeremiah 29. I read through this chapter again recently (I encourage you to read through the whole chapter as well), and see great wisdom in listening to five things we learn there: Earlier today, the United States Supreme Court ruled that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are no longer legal in America. In other words, same-sex marriage is now the law of the land in the U.S. How are evangelical Christians supposed to process this decision, and how do we move ahead? Here are four Christian sources that I'll be loosely monitoring about this specific issue, that can help us think things through. (Important note: I'm not necessarily endorsing all these sources will be saying. Read discerningly! And always remember that our final authority is the Bible.) The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission - ERLC.comThrough his speaking and writing, Russell Moore, President of the ERLC, has helped me think more biblically (and graciously and realistically) through a number of culturally-relevant issues. This is probably the first place I'll be monitoring constantly over the next few days and weeks. Find out more about the ERLC here. Christianity TodayA hub for "evangelical thought leaders" to have a "sense of community, coherence, and direction through thoughtful, biblical commentary on issues and through careful, caring reporting of the news" (from their FAQ page). Christianity Today will stay on top of reporting news about this issue (and many other issues of evangelical interest). World MagazineAnother source of news from within the evangelical world. Find out more about World here. Focus on the FamilyStill a solid ministry, advocating for healthy families - they'll surely be weighing in on the SCOTUS decision and its implications. Check out Jim Daly's post from earlier today, responding to the court's ruling.
As a follower of Jesus Christ and someone who cares about the value of loving God with our minds, one of the values I want to champion is discernment - thinking through and weighing issues, filtering what I hear (or read, or watch) to catch the "junk" and benefit from what's good.
Now, there's A LOT I could say about discernment if you got me talking about it (this won't be anywhere near exhaustive) - but I want to keep this post short and simple, and so I'm going to focus at a high level, on what I call my "Discernment Grid." (I really need to think of a better name for this.) What should the discernment we pursue look like? What abuses should it avoid? Before we get to a graphic that illustrates how I approach this, let me briefly spell out two things: Here's a sampling of some of the things I've been reading and reviewing this week. The hope is that these bite-sized sections of books, articles, blog posts, etc will stand on their own and be beneficial (or at least thought-provoking!) in-and-of-themselves. But I also hope that some of you will like these excerpts enough that they pull you into the larger work from which they've been taken.
Let's start sampling: A few weeks ago the Pew Research Center released results from a recent survey, showing a decline in the overall percentage of Americans who identify as Christian. (To see the report click here.) A number of others have helped us process this data in some important ways, including Ed Stetzer, Russell Moore, and Ross Dothan. These are all worth reading and reflecting on.
The most creative perspective on the survey findings, though, is - at least in my opinion - reflected below: |
Tim WiebeChristian. Husband. Father. Pastor. Learner. Contributor. Reader. Categories
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